Blood Purification Center

The Saitama Medical University General Medical Center Blood Purification Center is located on the first floor on the West side of the main building. This Center was originally opened as an artificial kidney department on the 2nd floor of the main building (the place that is currently a Lawson and Tully's Coffee), with 11 dialysis beds and 1 peritoneal dialysis examination room, and it was administered under the Department of Nephrology and Hypertension (formerly the Department of Fourth Internal Medicine). With the renovation of the hospital, we relocated to the first floor of the West side of the main building (former site of the Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine) and opened completely in July 2017. Currently, we have expanded to 20 dialysis beds, 3 outpatient clinic rooms, and 1 home dialysis guidance room, and 1 operating room, and the artificial kidney department changed their name to the Blood Purification Center and is operated mainly by the Department of Nephrology and Hypertension as one of the central departments of the hospital.

Patients who need blood purification therapy span a variety of medical departments, such as the Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, the Department of Gastroenterology and Digestive Tract Surgery, the Department of Vascular Surgery, the Department of Dermatology, and the Department of Rheumatology, with an emphasis on the Department of Nephrology and Hypertension. Of course there is ① the Chronic Dialysis Therapy Division, and we also actively engaged in ② the Special Blood Purification Division which performs apheresis therapy and acute blood purification therapy. In recent years, we have also been working to treat babies who are only a few days old with the establishment of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Also, we are one of the few university core hospitals in Japan with five divisions in close cooperation; ③ the Home Dialysis Division where peritoneal dialysis outpatient is actively promoted, incorporating it in home hemodialysis, ④the Vascular Access Division which manages and treats patients to protect important vascular access (shunts), which is the most important thing for hemodialysis patients and ⑤ the Kidney Transplant Division which cooperates with our Organ Transplantation Center actively promoting cadaveric kidney transplantation (No.1 in registrations in Saitama Prefecture) and living donor kidney transplant. We want to manage it carefully because it is a big asset for us as well.

We intend to fulfill our duty as a blood purification center trusted by the local people in order to be able to play a role as a core facility in the medical area centering on Saitama Kawagoe.

In the Blood Purification Center, we are targeting all kinds of blood purification therapies as renal replacement therapy, such as hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and home hemodialysis, as well as plasma exchange for autoimmune diseases and liver failure, and acute blood purification for acute renal failure, such as after surgery. In addition, as a facility performing kidney transplantation, we are responsible for the registration of kidney transplant applicants, and we also manage patients after kidney transplantation.

We have a class on kidney disease with a study group for patients during the predialysis period before the introduction of dialysis. We strive to maintain and manage patients with kidney failure while acquiring the correct information about the disease. We have opened an outpatient clinic for renal failure therapy for patients receiving renal replacement therapy due to terminal renal failure where they explain hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and renal transplantation in an easy-to-understand manner and assist patients with their choice of treatment methods.
Peritoneal dialysis that can be performed at home is useful as a dialysis treatment. Stable patients will be treated once or twice per month, while performing daily bag exchanges at home and at work. Although self-management is important for peritoneal dialysis, patients may be able to independently participate in their treatment, and the quality of daily life can be expected to improve.

Home hemodialysis is a method for patients and caregivers to perform hemodialysis at home under the management of a medical facility. It is necessary to acquire knowledge and technology to be able to do home dialysis with peace of mind, and it needs to be received with a caregiver. There is no burden on the body because there is no hospitalization for treatment at home with hemodialysis and dialysis and long-term dialysis can be adapted to your lifestyle.

Dialysis Access is very important for patients as well. A dialysis specialist is responsible for the preparation of the internal shunt for hemodialysis and for inserting the Tenckhoff catheter for the treatment of peritoneal dialysis. In addition, we have established an access specialist outpatient clinic to maintain stable dialysis access. We take advantage of non-invasive 3D ultrasound than conventional examinations to manage this. In addition, we actively perform percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for patients who have problems with internal shunts due to vascular stenosis, and we also perform treatments other than surgery.

= Consultation Window =

• Please call us at the Blood Purification Center (049-228-3523). We will consult with you to propose a bridge to the appropriate medical department and begin preparing them to accept dialysis during hospitalization.
• When you are troubled by a decision or your patient needs hospitalization... you can consult with the Department of Nephrology and Hypertension (049-228-3603).

We provide better dialysis at home through peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis. Currently, we also consult with patients who are having facility hemodialysis. Thank you for providing the information at the current institution.

= Consultation window =

• Please call us at the Blood Purification Center (049-228-3523).

We can provide consultation for all Vascular access (VA). In our hospital, dialysis doctors perform VA, and we are working closely with the Department of Vascular Surgery to try to provide the best possible treatment, even in a state of collapsed blood vessels. (Blood vessel dislocation, surfacing, treatment of excess blood flow, etc.) and we are also actively engaged in PTA treatment (balloon expansion). We make comprehensive decisions in VA outpatient and we endeavor to provide treatment while closely sharing information with maintenance hemodialysis facilities. The VA treatment room in the Blood Purification Center will open in autumn 2018, this should make it possible to support more quickly than ever.

= Consultation window =

• Please call us at the Blood Purification Center (049-228-3523).

We perform live donor kidney transplantation and cadaveric kidney transplantation in cooperation with the Organ Transplant Center. Transplant consultations are accepted at the Blood Purification Center. We also have regular outpatient for cadaveric kidney transplantation in preparation for registration with the Japan Organ Transplant Network and transplantation. Please consult with us first about living donor kidney transplants.

= Consultation window =

• Please call us at the Blood Purification Center (049-228-3523).